Of the six movies, here's how I would rank them:

1) The Matrix
2) Terminator 2: Judgement Day
3) The Terminator
4) Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
5) Matrix Reloaded

and a very, very, very distant 6) Matrix Revolutions

So for the trilogy as a whole, I'd have to go Terminator, even though the Matrix was the best individual movie IMO.

While I can't say any of the Matrix movies are quite as impresive as T2 (a just fabulous action film IMO), I think as a trilogy Matrix is more entertaining. Terminator really is more like three films, more like Bond than a cohesive trilogy. yes the story moves forward, but they all follow the same structure. I for one really liked the last two Matrices, and even find them more interesting than the first film. The first one was fun, but I never got why it was considered brilliant or whatever. But the second two made me geek out about the whole universe.

So Terminator has the better individual film, but Matrix is IMO a far superior trilogy.

Before the 3rd MATRIX movie came out it would have been MATRIX.

Thursday night, six days after the release of The Terminator. I'm at the theater, because I want to see it, although I know almost nothing about it, and somehow I don't think it's going to last long at the theater. (I was wrong, of course.)

It totally blew me away. I could not stop talking it up to people all weekend long, and beyond. And it's the first movie I ever bought on videotape, for $70.

Follow it up with Terminator 2 Judgment Day, at the midnight show, day of release, and another amazing film experience.

And... guess what? I'll go so far as to say Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines is on par with the first two. Yes, every bit their equal.

And now, Matrix. I guess I can't officially say, because when I saw it, I was so utterly underwhelmed that it immediately killed any potential future interest in sequel(s). So I've never seen the 2nd and 3rd Matrix films, because I thought the first just sucked.

Terminator wins. No contest.

Terminator hands down. T1, T2 and T3 are better as a whole then the Matrix movies. The original Matrix was the best movie out of all 6 we are comparing, however, The Matrix's story line broke down after the 2nd movie and contains the worst ending of a trilogy ever, IMO.

Hmm...

1) Terminator 2
2) The Matrix
3) Terminator
4) Terminator 3
5) Matrix Revolutions
6) Matrix Reloaded


Terminator wins here.